Seeing the sudden Field Spell appear on the field, Milo shot up from his seat, startling the nearby spectators.
One of them recognized him and said excitedly:
"You're Mr. Milo from the Haisen Club, right? I didn't expect to see you at the Junior Division finals."
Milo froze for a moment, only coming back to himself when the spectator called him a few more times. He unsteadily sat back down, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.
After a long silence, Milo suddenly punched himself in the face—hard. The people around him flinched, instinctively shifting away and leaving an empty space around him. They now suspected that after dueling a Shadow Duelist, something might have gone wrong with his mind.
He didn't care about their reactions. Right now, he felt like a pig.
A stupid pig!
Why hadn't he realized it back when he visited the Middle Division of Duel Academy?
If he had subconsciously assumed from the start that the mysterious duelist was a school teacher, fine… but when he later learned Morgan was a Duel King's disciple, how had he not suspected?
It was because he'd let bias guide his investigation, then been distracted by her Duel King disciple status, and never considered the possibility.
Even a pig should've figured it out by then… he was worse than a pig.
She was a Duel King's disciple. Beating a school teacher—was that hard?
Going undefeated to Platinum—was that hard?
Milo clutched his head in frustration. If he'd been just a bit more assertive, Morgan might already be part of the Haisen Club. With her on board, they could have solved their shortage of top duelists perfectly.
Regardless, that opportunity had slipped through his fingers.
Still, he hadn't given up—Morgan was still an independent duelist. He could still invite her to join.
Then a question struck him.
If Morgan wanted to reveal her identity, why hadn't she used her Trickstar Deck from the start?
Was it to hold back her full strength?
That said, just from her earlier displays of skill, plenty of clubs would be lining up to recruit her. Why was she still an independent duelist?
The answer was simple… Morgan had refused to join any club.
Why was she so opposed to clubs? Had they done something to make her despise them?
His expression darkened as he remembered the time major clubs had auctioned off her personal information. He'd been there himself—hadn't bid, but had seen their frenzy. It was probably because of that she now resisted, even hated clubs.
Realizing this, Milo gave a bitter laugh and abandoned the idea of recruiting her. The clubs had no chance now.
And now he understood why she was using her Trickstars in the final—not just to hold back strength, but to send a message to the clubs:
She had nothing to hide.
She was right here.
…
The host began commentating on Morgan's Field Spell, but the more he spoke, the stranger it felt.
"Friends, we can see Morgan starting off with a Field Spell—and it's gorgeous, like a concert stage I once saw.
Even more surprising, this is her third Deck of the tournament. How much strength is she still hiding?
Her Eldlich and Dinomorphia Decks both gave us spectacular duels—I expect no less this time.
Still… I feel like I've seen this card before. Maybe I'm imagining it, haha."
Just then, a staffer rushed over and whispered urgently to him. The host's eyes went wide, and he nearly shouted.
He covered his mic and double-checked. "Are you sure? No mistake?"
The staffer's face was serious. "We've confirmed it multiple times—reviewed the Virtual Duel footage over and over. No doubt about it!"
The host's excitement was barely contained—this was the most shocking moment of his career.
Viviana, already in the know, smiled with pride. She was glad she'd brought Morgan home; otherwise, she'd still be in the dark.
The crowd's discussions were growing louder—some had certainly guessed the truth.
"I remember now! I saw this card in a Virtual Duel!"
"Yeah! Someone used this Deck to go undefeated and reach Platinum!"
"Right… that mysterious duelist everyone was talking about! They used Trickstars!"
"But if Morgan's using it now, doesn't that mean…"
"Morgan is the mysterious duelist?!"
The arena erupted. No one had imagined the duelist they'd been dreaming about was right here.
The club managers in the stands were slack-jawed. They'd been the ones most desperate to find the mysterious duelist—watching the Virtual Duel footage hundreds of times, dissecting the Trickstar Deck. The moment they saw this Field Spell, they'd recognized it, but hadn't dared believe.
Morgan was the mysterious duelist?
The person they'd chased to sign… the one they'd searched for endlessly?
…
Their phones were blowing up—club bosses ordering them to sign her at any cost. The news had already hit the forums and headlines.
If not for security, they'd have rushed down already.
"Morgan really is the mysterious duelist…"
Jade stared blankly at her friend. Morgan suddenly felt distant… someone she could once read like an open book now had secrets, walls.
Would clubs swarm her after this match?
Jade resolved to work hard, close the gap, and join the same club as Morgan.
Isla's gaze was more complicated. Morgan had given her many surprises, but nothing like this. No wonder she'd challenged teachers so confidently—against her, they barely counted.
When the mysterious duelist first appeared, Isla's father—the head of Blackstone Club—had wanted to recruit them. She'd even analyzed the Trickstar Deck in preparation. That's how she'd recognized it so fast.
Then came the great search and the auction of information. Thinking of it filled her with guilt… her club had been part of that frenzy, and she'd been powerless to stop it.
Now, knowing the mysterious duelist was Morgan, the guilt was stronger than ever.
She sighed, watching Morgan's slender figure on the stage.
…
Once the identity was confirmed, the host couldn't hold back:
"Everyone, I've just learned something huge… our witch, Morgan, has another identity!
Seeing this Field Spell, you may have guessed it—yes, she's the legendary mysterious duelist! And we've confirmed her Virtual Duel ID: SunshineStriker!
My god! The undefeated Platinum legend is right in front of me… I can hardly breathe!"
He wasn't exaggerating—most here wanted to shake her hand, speak to her. She was now a goddess in their eyes.
Many had rekindled their dueling dreams because of her.
The chants of her name shook the arena.
Across from her, Orion stared wide-eyed.
"...You're really the mysterious duelist?" he said.
He was one of those she'd inspired… without her videos, he'd never have pushed himself to become White Night Club's rookie, wielding Blue-Eyes.
And now, his idol was his final opponent.
Morgan looked around at the unexpectedly fervent crowd—she'd thought maybe a third would recognize her. This had been meant as a message to the clubs, but the reaction had exceeded her expectations.
It was almost frightening.
So she told Orion with a smile, "That's just what they call me. I've never called myself that.
If anything, I'd prefer 'SunshineStriker.'"
"…"
He had so much to say—about her inspiration, his hard work, his joy at joining White Night—but now, words failed him.
"Hasn't anyone told you? You shouldn't get distracted in a duel. My turn's just starting."
As she spoke, Trickstar Light Stage flared.
"I activate Trickstar Light Stage's effect!
When this card is activated, add 1 'Trickstar' monster from your Deck to your hand!
I add Trickstar Candina!"
With her starter in hand, Morgan was ready to begin her combo.
The crowd refocused—this was still a duel.
"Let's enjoy it—how often do you get to see the mysterious duelist in action live?"
The spectators calmed, eager to see her plays.
"I Normal Summon Trickstar Candina in Attack Position!"
The yellow-clad performer appeared on stage—the first time the crowd had seen a Trickstar monster projected live, and they roared.
"I activate Candina's effect—to add Trickstar Festival from my Deck to my hand!"
She already had Lycoris, so Festival's Tokens were better for her setup.
"I activate the Continuous Spell, Dark Room of Nightmare!"
Sweat beaded on Orion's forehead—he knew this card well from her Virtual Duels.
"Next, I activate the Spell, Trickstar Festival!
I Special Summon 2 Trickstar Tokens (Fairy/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) to my field."
Two red heart-shaped balloons appeared—perfect Link Material.
"I use one Token to set the Link Arrows!
Link Summon—Trickstar Bloom!"
The cute girl with a giant flower bud appeared.
"I activate Bloom's effect! When Link Summoned: your opponent draws 1 card.
Chain: I activate Trickstar Lycoris from my hand!
Return Candina to my hand to Special Summon Lycoris!"
Lycoris hit the field first, then Orion drew.
Morgan smiled—now, it was her game.
...
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